Garrett’s Blog: Saturday: It’s Been 100 Years Since It Was This Hot, This Early

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Garrett’s Blog: Saturday: It’s Been 100 Years Since It Was This Hot, This Early

Wow. This got my attention. Above is an except from the National Weather Service Forecast Discussion.

I decided to pull some of the numbers to put this upcoming record into perspective.

Fayetteville

Normal: 50º

Record: 72º

Saturday: 79º

In NW Arkansas, the data record doesn’t go as far back since the weather observation site was established later in time as the population grew.

Interestingly, Fayetteville’s Drake Field has never recorded a temperature of 80º in January.

The hottest was 77º back in 1950.

In February, the earliest 80º degree day occurred on February 10th in 1954 of 83º.

So, while it’ll break the daily record on Saturday the 11th of 72º, it’ll miss the all-time earliest 80º degree day by literally one day since the record was set on the 10th.

Fort Smith

Normal: 54º

Record: 76º

Saturday: 82º

For Fort Smith, the warmest/earliest day on record is 81º set January 19th 1952.

In January, the records show four more 80º days that happened on Jan 24 & 25th in 1980 and on Jan 26th in 1952.

Assuming Fort Smith hit the forecast high on Saturday of 82º (and it very well could be warmer than that), it’ll be the hottest isn’t been this early in the year since February 1st of 1911 when Fort Smith hit 87º.

The last time it was THIS hot THIS year in the year would indeed be 100 years ago back in 1911.

Temperatures this month have been trending above normal for everyone.

For the first week of February, Fayetteville has average 6º above normal and Fort Smith 9.8º above normal.